1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to methods and systems for addressing and energizing micro-components in a light-emitting display.
2. Description of Related Art
In a typical plasma display, a gas or mixture of gases is enclosed between orthogonally crossed and spaced conductors. The crossed conductors define a matrix of cross over points, arranged as an array of miniature picture elements (pixels), which provide light. At any given pixel, the orthogonally crossed and spaced conductors function as opposed plates of a capacitor, with the enclosed gas serving as a dielectric. When a sufficiently large voltage is applied, the gas at the pixel breaks down creating free electrons that are drawn to the positive conductor and positively charged gas ions that are drawn to the negatively charged conductor. These free electrons and positively charged gas ions collide with other gas atoms causing an avalanche effect creating still more free electrons and positively charged ions, thereby creating plasma. The voltage level at which this ionization occurs is called the write voltage.
Upon application of a write voltage, the gas at the pixel ionizes and emits light only briefly as free charges formed by the ionization migrate to the insulating dielectric walls of the cell where these charges produce an opposing voltage to the applied voltage and thereby extinguish the ionization. Once a pixel has been written, a continuous sequence of light emissions can be produced by an alternating sustain voltage. The amplitude of the sustain waveform can be less than the amplitude of the write voltage, because the wall charges that remain from the preceding write or sustain operation produce a voltage that adds to the voltage of the succeeding sustain waveform applied in the reverse polarity to produce the ionizing voltage. Mathematically, the idea can be set out as Vs=Vwxe2x88x92Vwall, where Vs is the sustain voltage, Vw is the write voltage, and Vwall is the wall voltage. Accordingly, a previously unwritten (or erased) pixel cannot be ionized by the sustain waveform alone. An erase operation can be thought of as a write operation that proceeds only far enough to allow the previously charged cell walls to discharge; it is similar to the write operation except for timing and amplitude.
Typically, there are two different arrangements of conductors that are used to perform the write, erase, and sustain operations. The one common element throughout the arrangements is that the sustain and the address electrodes are spaced apart with the plasma-forming gas in between. Thus, at least one of the address or sustain electrodes is located within the path the radiation travels, when the plasma-forming gas ionizes, as it exits the plasma display. Consequently, transparent or semi-transparent conductive materials must be used, such as indium tin oxide (ITO), so that the electrodes do not interfere with the displayed image from the plasma display. Using ITO, however, has several disadvantages, for example, ITO is expensive and adds significant cost to the manufacturing process and ultimately the final plasma display.
The first arrangement uses two orthogonally crossed conductors, one addressing conductor and one sustaining conductor. In a gas panel of this type, the sustain waveform is applied across all the addressing conductors and sustain conductors so that the gas panel maintains a previously written pattern of light emitting pixels. For a conventional write operation, a suitable write voltage pulse is added to the sustain voltage waveform so that the combination of the write pulse and the sustain pulse produces ionization. In order to write an individual pixel independently, each of the addressing and sustain conductors has an individual selection circuit. Thus, applying a sustain waveform across all the addressing and sustain conductors, but applying a write pulse across only one addressing and one sustain conductor will produce a write operation in only the one pixel at the intersection of the selected addressing and sustain conductors.
The second arrangement uses three conductors. In panels of this type, called coplanar sustaining panels, each pixel is formed at the intersection of three conductors, one addressing conductor and two parallel sustaining conductors. In this arrangement, the addressing conductor orthogonally crosses the two parallel sustaining conductors. With this type of panel, the sustain function is performed between the two parallel sustaining conductors and the addressing is done by the generation of discharges between the addressing conductor and one of the two parallel sustaining conductors.
The sustaining conductors are of two types, addressing-sustaining conductors and solely sustaining conductors. The function of the addressing-sustaining conductors is twofold: to achieve a sustaining discharge in cooperation with the solely sustaining conductors; and to fulfill an addressing role. Consequently, the addressing-sustaining conductors are individually selectable so that an addressing waveform may be applied to any one or more addressing-sustaining conductors. The solely sustaining conductors, on the other hand, are typically connected in such a way that a sustaining waveform can be simultaneously applied to all of the solely sustaining conductors so that they can be carried to the same potential in the same instant.
Numerous types of plasma panel display devices have been constructed with a variety of methods for enclosing a plasma forming gas between sets of electrodes. In one type of plasma display panel, parallel plates of glass with wire electrodes on the surfaces thereof are spaced uniformly apart and sealed together at the outer edges with the plasma forming gas filling the cavity formed between the parallel plates. Although widely used, this type of open display structure has various disadvantages. The sealing of the outer edges of the parallel plates and the introduction of the plasma forming gas are both expensive and time-consuming processes, resulting in a costly end product. In addition, it is particularly difficult to achieve a good seal at the sites where the electrodes are fed through the ends of the parallel plates. This can result in gas leakage and a shortened product lifecycle. Another disadvantage is that individual pixels are not segregated within the parallel plates. As a result, gas ionization activity in a selected pixel during a write operation may spill over to adjacent pixels, thereby raising the undesirable prospect of possibly igniting adjacent pixels. Even if adjacent pixels are not ignited, the ionization activity can change the turn-on and turn-off characteristics of the nearby pixels.
In another type of known plasma display, individual pixels are mechanically isolated either by forming trenches in one of the parallel plates or by adding a perforated insulating layer sandwiched between the parallel plates. These mechanically isolated pixels, however, are not completely enclosed or isolated from one another because there is a need for the free passage of the plasma forming gas between the pixels to assure uniform gas pressure throughout the panel. While this type of display structure decreases spill over, spill over is still possible because the pixels are not in total electrical isolation from one another. In addition, in this type of display panel it is difficult to properly align the electrodes and the gas chambers, which may cause pixels to misfire. As with the open display structure, it is also difficult to get a good seal at the plate edges. Furthermore, it is expensive and time consuming to introduce the plasma producing gas and seal the outer edges of the parallel plates.
In yet another type of known plasma display, individual pixels are also mechanically isolated between parallel plates. In this type of display, the plasma forming gas is contained in transparent spheres formed of a closed transparent shell. Various methods have been used to contain the gas filled spheres between the parallel plates. In one method, spheres of varying sizes are tightly bunched and randomly distributed throughout a single layer, and sandwiched between the parallel plates. In a second method, spheres are embedded in a sheet of transparent dielectric material and that material is then sandwiched between the parallel plates. In a third method, a perforated sheet of electrically nonconductive material is sandwiched between the parallel plates with the gas filled spheres distributed in the perforations.
While each of the types of displays discussed above are based on different design concepts, the manufacturing approach used in their fabrication is generally the same. Conventionally, a batch fabrication process is used to manufacture these types of plasma panels. As is well known in the art, in a batch process individual component parts are fabricated separately, often in different facilities and by different manufacturers, and then brought together for final assembly where individual plasma panels are created one at a time. Batch processing has numerous shortcomings, such as, for example, the length of time necessary to produce a finished product. Long cycle times increase product cost and are undesirable for numerous additional reasons known in the art. For example, a sizeable quantity of substandard, defective, or useless fully or partially completed plasma panels may be produced during the period between detection of a defect or failure in one of the components and an effective correction of the defect or failure.
This is especially true of the first two types of displays discussed above; the first having no mechanical isolation of individual pixels, and the second with individual pixels mechanically isolated either by trenches formed in one parallel plate or by a perforated insulating layer sandwiched between two parallel plates. Due to the fact that plasma-forming gas is not isolated at the individual pixel/subpixel level, the fabrication process precludes the majority of individual component parts from being tested until the final display is assembled. Consequently, the display can only be tested after the two parallel plates are sealed together and the plasma-forming gas is filled inside the cavity between the two plates. If post production testing shows that any number of potential problems have occurred, (e.g. poor luminescence or no luminescence at specific pixels/subpixels) the entire display is discarded.
The present invention provides a light-emitting display or panel that can function as a large-area radiation source, as an energy modulator, as a particle detector, or as a flat-panel display such as a plasma-type display. Gas-plasma panels are preferred for these applications due to their unique characteristics.
The light-emitting display is used as a large area radiation source. By configuring the light-emitting display to emit ultraviolet (UV) light, the display has application for curing, painting, and sterilization. With the addition of one or more phosphor coatings to convert the UV light to visible white light, the display also has application as an illumination source.
Alternatively, the light-emitting display may be used as a plasma-switched phase array by configuring the display in a microwave transmission mode. The display is configured such that during ionization the plasma-forming gas creates a localized index of refraction change for the microwaves (although other wavelengths of light would work). The microwave beam from the display can then be steered or directed in any desirable pattern by introducing at a localized area a phase shift, directing the microwaves out of a specific aperture in the display, or a combination thereof.
Additionally, the light-emitting display is used for particle/photon detection. In this embodiment, the light-emitting display is subjected to a potential that is just slightly below the write voltage required for ionization. When the device is subjected to outside energy at a specific position or location in the panel, that additional energy causes the plasma forming gas in the specific area to ionize, thereby providing a means of detecting outside energy.
Further, the light-emitting display is used as a flat-panel display. This display can be manufactured very thin and lightweight, when compared to similar sized cathode ray tube (CRTs), making it ideally suited for home, office, theaters and billboards. In addition, this display can be manufactured in large sizes and with sufficient resolution to accommodate high-definition television (HDTV). Gas-plasma panels do not suffer from electromagnetic distortions and are, therefore, suitable for applications strongly affected by magnetic fields, such as military applications, radar systems, railway stations and other underground systems.
According to one embodiment of the present invention, a light-emitting display is made from two substrates, wherein one of the substrates includes a plurality of sockets and wherein at least two electrodes are disposed. At least partially disposed in each socket is a micro-component, although more than one micro-component may be disposed therein. Each micro-component includes a shell at least partially filled with a gas or gas mixture capable of ionization. When a large enough voltage is applied across the micro-component the gas or gas mixture ionizes, forming plasma and emitting radiation.
In another embodiment of the present invention, the plurality of sockets include a cavity that is patterned in the first substrate and at least two electrodes adhered to the first substrate, the second substrate or any combination thereof.
The plurality of sockets can include a cavity that is patterned in the first substrate and at least two electrodes that are arranged so that voltage supplied to the electrodes causes at least one micro-component to emit radiation throughout the field of view of the light-emitting display without the radiation crossing the electrodes.
In another embodiment, the first substrate includes a plurality of material layers and a socket formed by selectively removing a portion of the plurality of material layers to form a cavity. At least one electrode is disposed on or within the material layers.
The socket can include a cavity patterned in a first substrate, a plurality of material layers disposed on the first substrate so that the plurality of material layers conform to the shape of the socket and at least one electrode disposed within the material layers.
In one embodiment, a plurality of material layers, each including an aperture, are disposed on a substrate. In this embodiment, the material layers are disposed so that the apertures are aligned, thereby forming a cavity.
The present invention is also directed to methods of addressing and triggering selected micro-components in the light-emitting display and to configurations of the light-emitting display that support these addressing methods. For example, the light-emitting display can be divided, either logically or physically into a plurality of electrically coupled panels. Each one of these panels can be provided with separate circuitry to address and trigger the micro-components contained within that particular panel. The function of sustaining the micro-components components is preferably handled simultaneously for all of the micro-components in the display. The panels can be addressed in parallel, providing for more efficient display operation. In addition, the triggering electrodes can be attached to voltage sources directly through the back of the panel or at the junctions of the panels, simplifying the circuitry and addressing schemes and increasing manufacturing flexibility by enabling the manufacture of multiple display sizes on a single fabrication line.
In order to decrease the voltages necessary to address and trigger selected micro-components as well as to eliminate the cost associated with high voltage electronics, the display includes one or more voltage multipliers. When combined with a display divided into panels, at least one voltage multiplier is provided for each panel. Addressing of micro-components can then be handled with low voltage, i.e. from about 0 volts up to about 20 volts, circuitry and then this low voltage can be increased or ramped-up by the voltage multiplier just prior to delivery to the selected micro-components.
Selected individual micro-components in the display of the present invention can also be triggered using light. A pure two electrode configuration is used to simultaneously subject all of the micro-components to a sustain voltage below the trigger voltage. Light or photons from a light source are then directed to the selected micro-components, causing an effective decrease in the triggering voltage of the gas of those micro-components and producing radiation.
Another arrangement of light-emitting display provides for adequate operation of the display using only about half the number of sustain electrodes. In this arrangement, the sustain electrodes are disposed between parallel rows of micro-components, and each sustain electrode is electrically connected to the micro-components in both rows between which it is disposed. Therefore, one sustain electrode can be used to address two micro-components simultaneously, one micro-component on either side of the sustain electrode. Therefore, the total number of sustain electrodes needed to address all of the micro-components is reduced, preferably by about 50%.